Inside the Braves with MLB.com's Mark Bowman

Minor promoted to start for the disabled Jurrjens

Mike Minor will start Wednesday's game in Milwaukee. (Photo AP)

The Braves officially opted to put Jair Jurrjens on the 15-day disabled list Sunday morning with a strained right oblique muscle. This was the move they were planning to make Friday when they called Mike Minor to inform him that he will be starting Wednesday night’s game in Milwaukee.

“They just told me to be ready by Wednesday,” said Minor after joining the big league club Sunday morning. “It (stinks) for JJ. I actually do hope he comes back soon. I’m not trying to be selfish on my part. I just want the team to win. I know I’ll get my time and he’s earned his.”

Jurrjens doesn’t seem concerned about the oblique strain that forced him to exit his March 24 exhibition start after just one inning. Nor do the Braves seem to think the ailment will prove to be a lingering problem. But it might have been a problem had they rushed him back to the mound Wednesday or even as soon as next Saturday, when he will be eligible to return from the disabled list.

Having thrown just one inning since his March 18 six-inning performance in Port St. Lucie, Jurrjens needs time to make his final preparations for the upcoming season. The Braves have devised a plan that will give him a chance to get healthy before making his scheduled season debut against the Mets on April 16.

Jurrjens will complete a simulated game with Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday and then throw five or six innings against Triple-A Norfolk on April 11. This would put him on schedule to make his season debut against the Mets five days later.

If everything goes according to plan, Minor will only have to make the one start for Atlanta.

Odds and ends:

Dan Uggla said fans shouldn’t expect much from him during Spring Training and then ended up hitting .212 with one homer during the exhibition season. Those who have followed his career might have also been able to predict that he would hit his first home run as a Brave during Saturday’s game against the Nationals.

Uggla’s sixth-inning shot off Nationals reliever Chad Gaudin extended an odd streak. The powerful second baseman has now notched his first homer in the second game of each of the past four seasons. He opted not to procrastinate in 2007, when he notched his first homer on Opening Day.

Chipper Jones enters Sunday six hits shy of 2500 for his career and eight RBIs shy of 1500. Hall of Famer Eddie Murray is the only switch hitter in Major League history to compile 2500 hits and 1500 RBIs.

If he has a good season and stays healthy, of course he will come back for next season. His contract is through 2012. He loves the game, and I assume he loves money. If he can play, he will play. What would lead anyone to believe a healthy and productive Chipper would call it quits with a year left on his contract?

If Chipper can produce near his old .300/.400/.475 then he is a solid player not easily replaced on the field or in the club house. If he continues to struggle around .265 for a third season, his career BA will be very close to .300 and there is no way he will be back to risk that number. Even if he wanted to, a .265 hitter with 12-15 HR is not hard to replace on the open market. He is a leader and will be missed when he is gone. I’m excited about the changes he made getting ready for this season and I am way more optimistic than I was in October about Chipper2011.

That picture of Heyward and Uggla arm bashing after the homer is priceless. I would suggest to Freddie that he either needs to get Uggla a footstool, or have Heyward bat one more position behind Uggla in the lineup so he can stay on the top step of the dugout until the bash has occurred. I know, see if they can use the box that Tim Kirkjian uses to interview people.

Either way, Uggla is already making an impact, even if he has to jump to celebrate.

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